Trying To Keep It Simple

In an attempt to save money I have been examining our monthly outlay for bills and trying to find ways we can cut expenses.

We have all but given up eating out. Now eating out consists of stopping at Subway and getting $5.00 Foot-longs on Friday night. When the lease expired on my BMW, I bought a 1998 Volvo Station wagon with a $158 monthly payment. We keep the heat turned down all winter and watch our water usage. So now what?

It is time to look at the cable TV and broadband. Yikes! For obvious reasons, I am not willing to give up the internet. So what about cable? Basic cable is $12.95 a month, but I can also use an antenna and get the same channels for free. So I am thinking ok this should be simple enough.

Then I start thinking, what about football season? I love College Football on Saturdays. While it is true that there are games on the networks, they don't tend to show Big Ten games out here. We usually get the Ducks (?) and the Beavers. Oh and don't forget about the Huskies. What will I do without ESPN? And then there is the whole PBR Bull riding debacle. I have to spend an extra $20 a month so I can get Versus. So I guess I am not ready to totally simplify my life.

I mean I have given up Starbucks coffee at home,(I now have Maxwell House coffee on my counter.) What more can a girl do? I believe it to be prudent to get rid of the extra $22 a month for Starz and Versus.

So I guess it's adios to the PBR, I can live without it. If any of you know me, you know this is a HUGE step, and so it's one step at a time for now.